11/27/2012

Shelf Bracket Bike Rack and Repair Stand

Bike racks and repair stands are among the most common search terms we see in our stats and reader Scott contacted us with yet another spin on this topic. Take it away Scott . . .

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I don't mind spending money on my bike - if it makes sense, but I hate wasting it on over-engineered accessories that can be easily replaced by something simpler and just as functional.

I always wanted a work stand, but-

1] Don't have the room to store one, and

2] Don't have the budget for one anyways.

Fast forward to my moving into a new house, and putting up shelves in the garage to store all my junk. Staring me in the face are an extra pair of stamped steel shelf brackets, the one piece ones that are approx. 12" long. Screwed into the studs of the wall at 16" on center, they are plenty sturdy enough to support my bike, so now I have a way to store it off the floor, as well as do service and adjustments - like cleaning/lubing the chain, adjusting the cables, etc.

As my bicycle is my baby, I couldn't bear to see it get scratched from metal-on-metal contact, so a well-used inner tube sacrificed itself to make grippy covers for the arms. Soaked in some soapy water, they slid over the arms with just the right amount of resistance, and when dry locked onto the arms tightly. Now the frame doesn't slide around and get scratched up, and it is much more stable when working on it.

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There are other shelf brackets out there, like the ones used in closets - they have a "u" drop at the ends to support a closet rod - or in our case, a top tube of a bike frame. It also allows you to mount a shelf on top to hold your helmet and shoes, or cleaning supplies or tools. Maybe next time...